Chicago Early Learning Request For Proposal (RFP)

DFSS Chicago Early Learning RFP

Building on the strengths and power of the Head Start and Early-Head Start models and the track record of success they have for comprehensively supporting students, families, and communities, the City remains dedicated to providing high-quality early education to children through Chicago Early Learning. The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Request for Proposals (RFP)asked early childhood education organizations to submit proposals that embraced key policy goals such as kindergarten readiness, increasing credentials for early learning staff, raising salary minimums for pre-school teachers, and blending of federal and state dollars in order to fund early learning at the level necessary to deliver quality education.

The Context

The City of Chicago has made a commitment to providing young children across the city with access to high-quality early learning through a comprehensive, citywide system of school- and community-based programs known as Chicago Early Learning (CEL). The service philosophy of the City of Chicago and CEL is that children of all backgrounds require quality early learning experiences to promote their social emotional, physical, language and cognitive development.

The roll out of Universal Pre-K (UPK4) in communities across the city and new state policies that allow children to enroll in kindergarten earlier will shape a new early childhood ecosystem that community-based programs and public schools must respond to.

In addition, in the 2017-2018 school year, all kindergarten teachers in Illinois began observing their students on a common set of developmental measures using the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS). According to the KIDS study, only 22% of African-American children and 15% of Hispanic children are considered school-ready when they show up on the first day of kindergarten.

The RFP - Policy Goals

The two recent RFPs released by DFSS help align best practices within this evolving system. Through the RFP process, DFSS policy priorities included:

Advancing Kindergarten readiness.

Providing City-wide Coverage: As part of slot allocation, DFSS seeks to provide access to high-quality Chicago Early Learning programs in community-based organizations in neighborhoods across the city.

Maximizing Funding Streams: Blending of federal and state dollars in order to fund early learning at the level necessary to deliver quality education.

The RFP – Competitive Process

DFSS received close to 250 proposals from over 150 different agencies. Under the new contracts, which go in to effect on December 1, 2019, 101 agencies will receive funding and partner with DFSS to provide high-quality early learning to communities around Chicago.

The Increased Investment in Early Learning

Across the city there was an increase of nearly 1600 early learning slots in community-based agencies through the RFP. While some communities did, in fact, see a reduction in funding as a result of the RFP, others will see an increase. Increases and decreases by community were due to many factors, including the quantity and quality of application by community area, the targeted populations by community area, community area need and capacity.

Through the RFP, funded agencies are being better compensated for services for each slot. The increased teacher salaries and higher quality standards were the reasons DFSS increased the cost per child, or reimbursement rate, across programs as illustrated below.

For preschool services:

Funding Stream

2019 slot allocation per child

2020 slot allocation with the RFP per child

Head Start Center-Based

$8,721

$11,000

Head Start Home-Visiting

$8,721

$9,000

PFA Center-Based

$4,500

$5,400

For infant/toddler services:

Funding Stream

2019 slot allocation per child

2020 slot allocation with the RFP per child

Early Head Start Center-Based

$8,721

$13,500

Early Head Start Home-Visiting

$8,721

$9,000

PI Center-Based

$8,000 - $10,000

$11,000

PI Home Visiting

$4,400

$5,000

The Funding

Through this year’s RFPs, DFSS will distribute to community-based agencies $193,147,500 in funding to support early learning services for children birth to five. In federal funding, this includes $80,884,000 in Head Start, $25,587,000 in Early Head Start, $12,281,500 in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, and in state funding this include $32,049,000 in Preschool for All, and $42,346,000 in Prevention Initiative.

The Effective Date

DFSS granted extensions to state funded programs (PFA/PI), and all current grantees will be funded through November 30, 2019. DFSS will work with agencies that are not being funded in the new contract to develop customized transition plans for both families and agencies over the next three months.

RFP Awarded Grants

(Alphabetical)

Ada S McKinley Community Services Inc.

$ 8,310,400

Alain Locke Charter School

$ 216,000

Albany Park Community Center, Incorporated

$ 1,518,200

All Star Kids Academy

$ 183,600

Allisons Infant & Toddler Center Inc

$ 1,996,200

Asian Human Services, Inc.

$ 2,960,000

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